Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that children with suspected allergies receive a diagnosis.
To support healthcare professionals in ensuring that children with suspected allergies receive a diagnosis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a range of evidence-based best practice guidance for clinicians and commissioners. These include guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of drug and food allergy in under-19s [CG116]; the diagnosis and management of atopic eczema in the under-12s [CG57]; and diagnosing, monitoring, and managing asthma in adults, young people and children [NG80].
NICE guidelines represent best practice, and health professionals, including general practitioners, are expected to take them fully into account. It should be noted, however, that the guidelines are not mandatory and do not replace the judgement of clinicians in determining the most appropriate treatment for individual patients.